Warner Music Group (WMG) has acquired Sureel AI, a startup that develops technology to track when songs are used in generative AI. Sureel’s core offering is a system that assigns “AI DNA” to recordings, enabling the tracing of their use in AI models and AI-generated content.
The AI DNA process deconstructs recordings into distinct components and monitors how those components are utilized within AI systems.
Beyond tracking, Sureel provides a range of services for artists, songwriters, and rightsholders. These include “intellectual property provenance, audit and compliance reporting, model optimization, AI business intelligence, and a growing NIL (name, image, and likeness) attribution suite.” The NIL suite is designed to track the use of name, image, and likeness in AI training and generation, such as in voice clones and avatars.
Sureel will remain available as a standalone platform following the acquisition, with WMG providing resources and strategic support.
Robert Kyncl, Chief Executive Officer of Warner Music Group, said: “AI powers a large fan engagement and value creation opportunity for our industry, while making the human provenance of music more important than ever. Bringing Sureel into WMG strengthens our capability for protection, control, and monetization and ensures that the creative community remains in control of its intellectual property, name, image, likeness, and voice. We look forward to working with Tamay and his team to advance all of their incredible work.”
Dr. Tamay Aykut, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Sureel AI, said: “Rightsholders deserve to know how AI interacts with their work, and to share fairly in the value it creates. Sureel was built to make that possible, and with WMG’s backing, we can deliver on our mission at scale, building a more transparent and fair future and driving value growth for the whole music and entertainment ecosystem.”
